


Hope Is So Much Stronger Than Fear

by MissCrazyWriter321



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Goes From Pain To Tooth-Rotting Fluff Faster Than Barry Can Mess Up The Timeline, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Minor Character Death Mentioned, Minor Characters and Pairings, Rescue, dystopian au, prison break - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 13:56:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11670462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissCrazyWriter321/pseuds/MissCrazyWriter321
Summary: She can’t breathe, her mind is screaming with endless despair, and her fist is wrapped so tightly around her baton she’s afraid it will shatter, but that’s okay.She’s totally fine.He’s just… Gone.





	Hope Is So Much Stronger Than Fear

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AgentMaryMargaretSkitz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentMaryMargaretSkitz/gifts).



> Hello, everyone! This was based off of a Tumblr prompt from Agentmarymargaretskitz: "Hope is so much stronger than fear." (Yes, I got creative with the title, can't you tell?) This kind of got away from me, but I hope everyone enjoys! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but my ideas.

She’s okay. She’s fine.

She can’t breathe, her mind is screaming with endless despair, and her fist is wrapped so tightly around her baton she’s afraid it will shatter, but that’s okay.

She’s totally fine.

He’s just… Gone.

—

Two hours prior…

  
_“It wasn’t your fault.”_

_  
Of course it’s him. Who else would find her this quickly? (Who else would even be looking after a day like today?)_

_  
His words are empty echoes of what everyone has been telling her, but coming from him, they hurt more. He, at least, shouldn’t lie to her._

_  
“Saying something doesn’t make it true.” She edges closer to the fire, refusing to meet his eyes. It’s eerily dark, and she absently wonders how much time has passed here, in her little haven right outside the base. If her father knew she was there, he’d have a heart attack, but sometimes, she needs to get away. The Rebels are wonderful people, (mostly,) but tonight, she wants to be alone._

_  
Mostly alone, anyway._

_  
After all, there are other places she could have hidden, where Ray wouldn’t have found her._

_  
“No, that’s-It’s true.” The frown is clear in his voice. “That’s why I’m saying it.” He hesitates, lingering just behind her, and she gestures to the spot beside her with a sigh._

_  
“He died saving me,” she mutters, as he settles in. Out of the corner of her eye, she watches him. His shoulders are slumped, and he’s watching her with a pained expression she struggles to ignore._

_  
You can’t fix this one, Ray._

_  
She doesn’t say it, but it’s a close thing._

_  
“He died doing what he believed in.”_

_  
“Lot of good that does Cait.”_

_  
Ronnie’s widow hasn’t stopped crying since it happened. Honestly, Lily’s more worried about what she’ll do next. Caitlin is a master of hiding her emotions, and Ronnie has always balanced her out._

_  
“Hey.” His arm wraps around her, cautiously at first, as if he’s scared she’ll pull away. (He’s warm and steady, and when she closes her eyes, she finally doesn’t see him dying in Ronnie’s place. She isn’t going to pull away.) Eventually, he relaxes, tugging her into his chest. “It’s okay. We’ll be okay.”_

_  
Oh, she wants to believe him. But how?_

_  
“We can’t win.” It’s the thought that’s been ringing in her head since long before Ronnie’s death, but she doesn’t mean for it to slip out._

_  
“Of course we can.” His unwavering faith isn’t surprising. Ray Palmer doesn’t know how to doubt, Lily muses._

_  
“How?” She tilts her head up, nose brushing his neck accidentally, and pushes on. “We have nothing. No weapons worth anything, no power, no army to speak of…”_

_  
“We have hope.” His voice is firm, and she wishes so badly to just let it wash over her, soothing her fears. It isn’t that simple, though._

_  
“But they have-”_

_  
“They have fear. The people are afraid of them, so they don’t rebel. But hope is so much stronger than fear, Lily. And when this hope catches on? Savage’s Empire will crumble from the inside out.”_

_  
The passion in his tone is contagious, and in spite of the day’s events, confidence floods her anew._

_  
They can win this._

_  
They can avenge Ronnie._

_  
They can save their people._

_  
And they can end Savage._

_  
He pulls back to study her expression, and whatever he sees, it brings a smile to his lips._

_  
She can’t help but smile in return._

_  
The world is a huge, messy, complex thing that sometimes leaves Lily in awe, but at the moment, she’ll swear it’s tiny: Just the two of them, the moon, and the crackling fire._

_  
She isn’t sure who leans in first, but they’re slowly moving toward each other, breaths mingling somewhere between them. Her free hand rests on his chest shakily._

_  
It’s inevitable, she thinks. They’ve been drawn from each other almost from the start. There’s a connection, like her parents have. Like Barry and Iris have. Like Caitlin and…_

_  
Ronnie’s dead._

_  
How could she have forgotten, even for a moment?_

_  
Caitlin is still sobbing over her husband’s body, and Lily thinks she has a right to do something like this? Especially since-no matter what Ray may claim-it’s all her fault._

_  
If Ronnie doesn’t get to be happy, why should she?_

_  
“Stop.” She pushes him away, instantly regretting it. His face crumples, and he draws his arm back, leaving her chilled and alone, even though he’s still beside her._

_  
“I’m sorry,” he stammers, “I thought-I’m sorry.” With sickening clarity, she understands. All she meant was, ‘Not now,’ but he thought-he thinks-she meant ‘Not ever.’_

_  
She opens her mouth to-to do something. To apologize, to explain, she isn’t sure, but she’ll do anything to soothe that hurt from his face._

_  
Before she can make a sound, the air is filled with shouts. It’s too soon to see anyone, but they don’t have to. Few would dare to be so bold, screaming battle cries as they go._

_  
“Savage’s men,” Ray confirms grimly. “Run!”_

_  
She’s almost back to the base when she realizes he isn’t with her. Looking back, her heart nearly stops. They’ve surrounded him, and there’s nowhere for him to run. A part of her wants to charge them, to do anything she can to get them away from him, but she’s no fighter. If she tries anything, they’ll only end up with another captive._

_  
They haven’t noticed her, it seems, and she takes cover behind some trees, unable to look away._

_  
He does try to fight back, but soon, he’s bound, bleeding, and being dragged away by a handful of soldiers._

_  
As she slips back into the base, looking for help, his face flashes through her mind: Hurt, confused, and rejected._

_  
She may never see him again, and he thinks she doesn’t want him._

_  
But she’s okay._

  
—

  
“How are we going to get him back?” Her voice is dry and shaky by the time she finishes recounting the story, and when Cisco hands her a glass of water, she downs it gratefully.

  
The hesitance on her father’s face is enough to give her pause.

  
“Lily,” he begins, and she frowns.

  
“We  _are_  going to get him back, right?”

  
Guilt flickers across his face, and he exchanges helpless glances with Cisco, Barry, and Iris. “Sweetheart, I need you to understand-”

  
Panic claws at her, but she manages to reply. “He’s part of our team, dad! He’s one of us! We can’t just abandon him!” Distantly, she’s aware that she’s shouting. The others are staring in confusion. (Has she ever even raised her voice around them before? She can’t recall.)

  
He kneels in front of where she’s sitting, resting a hand on her knee as if she’s still a child. Sometimes that comforts her, but not today. “I know that you-I know Doctor Palmer means a lot to you,” he begins, “but if Savage’s men took him, he’s probably already dead.”

  
It’s sound logic, and yet…

  
“You don’t know that.”

  
He could still be alive.

  
He has to be.

  
She hopes.

  
“If we were at full strength, going after him would be a suicide mission. As it is…” He trails off, glancing at Ronnie’s empty seat helplessly. “There’s nothing we can do for him, I’m afraid. Only a lunatic would try to charge Savage’s prison.”

  
_Lunatics._

  
It isn’t a word he uses often. Even those in the Empire, he refers to as geniuses. Diabolical ones, sure, but geniuses nonetheless.

  
In fact, there’s only one group her father refers to with that disdainful word.

  
Her decision is made before she even knows she’s considering it.

  
—

  
Some people say the Legends are mercenaries. Some say they’re assassins. Some say they’re heroes.

  
All Lily knows for sure is, they aren’t easy to find.

  
She calls in every favor she can, and it still only gets her a year-old address. If the run-down shack in front of her is anything to go by, they haven’t been here in some time. Her heart drops down to her toes, but she refuses to give up.

  
Not on Ray.

  
Pushing the door open, she steps inside, stifling a sneeze at the dusty room. There has to be something. Some sort of clue to point her toward these Legends.

  
She sneaks through the house, trying not to think of what her father will say when he notices she’s missing. (If he discovers where she went… She doesn’t want to imagine what will happen. His disappointed face flashes through her mind, and she forces it away.)

  
The house is useless. Aside from some faded newspapers, and a few broken glasses, there’s no sign anyone has lived here in months.

  
Ah. Except for that.

  
She goes still, intensely aware of the knife now pressed to her throat.

  
“Don’t. Move.” A voice hisses near her ear, and she’s more relieved than surprised that it’s female. The most famous Legend, the Black Canary, is known for her knives and her temper. At least, Lily muses, she’s in the right place.

  
“I need your help.” She struggles to keep her voice low and even, but the knife draws closer, nonetheless. After a pause, the woman speaks again, confusion clear in her voice.

  
“Were you talking to me?”

  
“Are you the Canary?”

  
If she isn’t mistaken, the woman tightens her grip again, and Lily doesn’t dare move, in case the knife slips. “How do you know that name?”

  
“I’m a Rebel.” It’s a dangerous thing to admit. If this isn’t who she hopes, that sentence could get her killed. If she is, it could come off as a threat.

  
Slowly, the knife lowers, and Lily turns back cautiously. A woman with stark blonde hair stares back at her, clad in solid white. This definitely isn’t the Black Canary.

  
“Who are you?” She manages, and the other woman sighs.

  
“That’s complicated. Why do you need my help?”

  
Clearing her throat, Lily repeats her story for the second time in as many days. The Not-Canary listens patiently, but frowns at the end. “So, Savage took your friend? Look, if it’s been that long, your dad’s probably right. I’m sorry, but… If they haven’t killed him by now, he’s different. The do things to people. Steal their minds.” The haunted look in her eyes chills Lily. She’s speaking before she can stop herself.

  
“He isn’t just a friend.” Her words feel too loud in her own ears, but she plows on. “He’s… More. I don’t know. I had a chance to find out, but I panicked, and now he thinks…”

  
The other woman’s eyes grow wider and wider as she speaks, something far too intent creeping in. As Lily trails off, Not-Canary turns away sharply, shoulders hunched over. “He thinks you don’t love him.” There’s too much pain, too much regret, in her tone.

  
And maybe Lily has never dared use the word love, but right now, it seems childish and silly to try anything else. She’s risking her life on a fool’s errand, for just a chance to see him again. Yeah, she loves him.

  
“Exactly.”

  
There’s a long silence, where Lily loses track of time, and Not-Canary stands stiffly in place. Finally, Lily clears her throat.

  
“If there’s even a chance he’s still alive…”

  
“You owe it to yourself to find out,” the other woman interrupts, turning back, a determined glint in her eyes. “Follow me.”

  
—

  
Not-Canary’s name is Sara, apparently, and she goes by White Canary. As for the shack, it isn’t so abandoned as it appears. Underneath a dirty rug, there’s a trapdoor, and the basement beneath is bustling with activity.

  
Sara makes quick work of introducing Lily to her teammates: A mechanic with a boyish grin, called Jax, a serious, stern woman named Amaya, a quiet hacker who calls herself Gideon, and a tall British man who seems to think himself in charge.

  
“Are you out of your mind, Sara?” He hisses, sparing Lily a sharp glance. Sara scowls back, arms crossed over her chest, and he plows on. “You bring this-this stranger into our base, and now you want us to charge Savage’s prison? You want us to go on a suicide mission over a sob story?”

  
Her eyes flash, and she takes a step forward. “What would you do if it was Miranda?”

  
Lily isn’t sure who Miranda is, but it isn’t hard to infer; his face shutters immediately, and he lowers his voice. “Don’t, Sara. That isn’t fair.”

  
A hint of remorse flickers on the woman’s face, but she stands firm. “Fine. Then what if it was…” The last is so soft Lily can’t hear it, but Rip’s gaze darts to Gideon, and he nods reluctantly.

  
“Okay. Fine.” He seems to almost be talking to himself. “We’re going to break into the most secure facility on the planet. Lovely. Just one thing, Sara. Is this about-”

  
“Don’t.” Now it’s her turn to shutter.

  
Lily loses track of time, watching the two of them staring at each other warningly. It reminds her in ways of her and Ronnie: Not quite siblings, but the closest they could come.

  
Thinking of Ronnie sends a pang through her she pointedly ignores. Finally, Rip nods. “Okay.” His voice is unexpectedly soft. He turns to Lily, drawing in a breath.

  
“We’ll help you,” he agrees, and Lily fights the urge to cry in relief. Save Ray now. Cry later.

  
-

  
It takes a week to plan a break-in to the most secure facility on the planet.

  
Plans are drawn and redrawn, scrapped altogether, and replaced with new plans.

  
For the most part, Lily tries not to think. She can’t think of her father, probably worried sick in her absence. She can’t think of Ray, suffering at Savage’s hand. She can’t think of Ronnie, gone forever because of her.

  
So she tries not to think at all.

  
-

  
Breaking in, all things considered, is the easy part. A few well-placed bribes, a couple of lock-picks, and some serious hacking from Gideon, and they’re in.

  
Finding Ray and getting him out before the guards get back, however…

  
“We’ll split up,” Sara announces, and Lily forces herself to focus. She can’t be distracted. Not now. “Search every cell. The guards will be back in five minutes, and we have to be out of here by then. If we haven’t found Ray….” She trails off, which is just as well. Lily knows exactly what she’s going to say, and it doesn’t matter. She can’t just give up.

  
“Move!”

  
They scatter, and Lily moves to the closest cell. A woman with striking blonde hair stares back curiously, head tilted to the side.

  
Moving on.

  
Cell after cell, with more prisoners that Lily can count, but none that even resemble Ray.

  
She won’t panic. She can’t panic.

  
“Ray?” She calls, as loudly as she dares. No response, of course. That would be too easy. Still, she tries again, pausing to look into yet another cell. The man who meets her gaze is older, just a bit younger than her father, with kind eyes.

  
“Are you Lily?” He asks, wincing from the effort of sitting up.

  
Hope surging up inside her, she nods, drawing close to the cell. He smiles weakly, and gestures. “Last cell on the right. Best hurry, though. Almost out of… time.”

  
His eyes drift shut, and her heart drops, but he startles awake a second later. “Sorry,” he mutters.

  
“Thank you so much…” She trails off, and he waves his hand.

  
“My name is Henry. Now go. He won’t last much longer here.”

  
How have you, she almost asks, but Sara shouts, drowning out her thoughts.

  
“Thirty seconds!”

  
A glance down the corridor. She can make it… Probably. “Hold on,” she calls, just in case. If an answer comes, she doesn’t hear it, sprinting forward desperately.

  
When she reaches the cell, she almost can’t breathe. It’s him. Ray. He’s curled in on himself, back to the wall, muttering himself. She can’t quite make out the words, but she doesn’t pause to focus on them, either.

  
“Ray? Ray, it’s me. Can you hear me?” He turns to her, but he’s staring past her blanky, and her heart drops. It can’t be too late.

  
_Please don’t let it be too late._

  
Cuts and bruises litter his face and hands, some dark and splotchy. Whatever they’ve done to him, they haven’t held back.

  
“Ray, please, it’s me. Lily.” Finally-finally-he looks at her, his blank expression melting into a soft but confused one.

  
“Lily?” His voice cracks, and she sets to work on the locks. “Wha-what are you doing here? You shouldn’t-it’s not safe, they’ll-you have to get out of here!” By the end, he’s shaking, desperation dripping from his tone.

  
Slowly, cautiously, she steps into the cell.

  
“We have to go! Now!” Someone calls, but Lily ignores them. After all this, she isn’t leaving without Ray.

  
“Hey,” she murmurs, reaching for him. He flinches, but before she can draw her hand back, he surges forward to grab it.

  
“You have to get out of here,” he whispers urgently, and she nods.

  
“I will. But you’re coming with me.”

  
He opens his mouth to argue, but Sara’s voice echoes down the hallway. “The guards are back! We have to run  _now_.”

  
Ray is on his feet immediately, though he shakes when he stands. The next few minutes are a blur, darting down the corridor, back to where their team is already halfway out the exit. Ray hesitates when he realizes who they are, but when he glances down the hallway, he apparently decides they’re a better option than the guards charging toward them.

  
The building is a maze of hallways and corridors, and they could easily get lost if it weren’t for Gideon, faithfully guiding them through a comm in Sara’s ear.

  
“To the left. Now right. Another right. Almost there.”

  
Lily can’t hear her, of course, but even Sara parroting her is comforting. It makes it seem less like this is a hopeless venture, and more like they could actually succeed.

  
The exit is in sight when the guards finally catch up, and of course, they aren’t alone.

  
“Well, now,” Vandal purrs, striding in front of them casually. The two guards, muscular men with firm glares, draw their guns, silently signaling that no one should move.

  
Everyone complies. A few could probably escape, but not all of them.

  
Ray clears his throat. “Hey, Mick, buddy! How’s it going?” He seems to be addressing one of the guards. The other raises his eyebrows in something that almost resembles amusement, while “Mick” scowls.

  
“We aren’t buddies,” he grumbles, and Vandal grins.

  
“As amusing as this is for me, and truly, it is… I’m afraid the time for games is long past. Now…” He approaches Sara, eyes positively dancing. To her credit, she holds her ground, scowling at him in disgust. “Ta-er al Sahfer. I’ve heard so very much about you.”

  
_Who?_  Lily blinks, but none of her companions seem surprised by the name. Either because they already know it, or because of fear; she isn’t sure.

  
Meanwhile, Savage isn’t done with his spiel. “You have no idea how much I’d love to take you… Under my wing, so to speak. But alas, as long as you are here, the others will never lose hope. And hope…” He gestures sharply, “is dangerous. Leonard?” He looks to the other guard, who steps forward easily. “Put the Canary out of her misery.”

  
Leonard nods, and Lily risks a glance at Sara. The other woman is inexplicably pale, staring at the guard in horror. Her expression hardens a moment later, but Lily can’t forget that look.

  
_What in the world?_

  
“Gladly.” Leonard draws his gun, and Lily stifles a whimper, burying her face in Ray’s shoulder. She may hardly know Sara, but the woman put her life on the line, for her, and now she’s going to die.

  
_My fault, my fault, my fault..._

  
“It’s time for Sara Lance to die,” Savage adds.

  
Silence, almost deafening, before a shot rings out. Two. Three.

  
Tears are streaming down Lily’s cheeks, and she wants nothing more than to stay there forever, tucked in Ray’s arms, but… He’s pushing her away? Why? Why won’t he hold her?

  
“Lily, look!” His voice is low and awed, and she takes a breath, daring to look up. 

  
Sara.. Is fine? Staring at Leonard in confusion, but otherwise unharmed. But if he didn’t shoot her, then who-

  
Slumped on the ground, the lifeless figure of Vandal Savage silently answers her question.

  
Leonard, for his part, looks as lost as any of them, staring at his gun as though he’s never seen it before.

  
Sara clears her throat, taking a tentative step forward. “Len?” His gaze darts to her sharply, and he stiffens, but makes no move to step away from her. “Why did you do that?”

  
Her voice is impossibly soft, softer than Lily could have ever expected from her.

  
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Mick cuts in with a scowl.

  
Leonard shrugs. “I… Don’t know?” He sounds a bit like a lost child, and Sara glances away, exchanging pointed looks with Rip and Jax. A few nods, a couple of gestures, and a choice Lily can’t decipher is made.

  
“Come with us,” Sara offers, and Mick scoffs.

  
“Ain’t gonna happen, Blondie.”

  
She doesn’t even spare him a glance, just stares at Leonard with a silent plea. Finally, he nods. “Yeah. Sure.”

  
Lily raises her eyebrows, but says nothing. She’ll wonder about this later. Once they’re safe.

  
-

  
It’s only back at the Legends’ hide-out, after everything is over, that she questions it. Mick is watching Jax work, (and Lily isn’t quite sure why he came along, but she isn’t about to kick him out, and if no one else wants to try… He’s there.) Though he seems more interested in the sparks his work produces than the actual mechanics. Len is sitting stiffly on a chair, staring at the room curiously. Ray is resting in one of the dusty beds, exhausted from his time in the prison.

  
Lily clears and throat, and pulls Sara aside. “Hey…”

  
Sara explains quietly, careful not to let the others overhear. In the end, Lily shakes her head in amazement.

  
“They were part of your crew? Both of them?”

  
Sara nods, nostalgia written across her face. “Until Savage got his hands on them two years ago. Honestly, we all thought they were dead, but… Apparently it was worse.”

  
“Maybe not.” Lily reaches out, squeezing her friend’s shoulder gently. “They’re here now.” A pause, then she risks it. “He’s here now.”

  
If Sara’s surprised, she doesn’t show it, only nods. “Yeah, but he isn’t the same. He doesn’t know me. Us.”

  
“He will.” Somehow, she believes it. Sara probably doesn’t, but that’s okay. At least they have a chance now.

  
“Thank you, for everything,” she adds, drawing the other woman into a hug. Sara stiffens in surprise, before relaxing, returning the gesture.

“Hey, don’t mention it.” She pulls back with a grin, and adds, “That’s what Legends do.”

  
Lily laughs, settling on the ground. Sara follows suit, leaning back against the wall behind them.

  
“So, what are the Legends going to do now?” Lily can’t help but ask. The question has been bugging her for awhile. Legends and Rebels alike are kind of out of work. “Now that Savage is gone, I mean.”

  
The humor fades from Sara’s face, and she shakes her head. “It isn’t over, not by a long shot.” Lily’s confusion must show, because she explains, “Savage had a council of men. Damien Darhk, Eobard Thawne, Per Degaton… With him dead, it’ll be a mad dash for power. Any of them will be just as bad as him, though. Maybe worse.”

  
Worse than Vandal Savage… Lily can’t even imagine.

  
“You know,” Sara muses, “we could use people like you, and Ray. I think you’d make pretty good Legends.”

  
Her father’s face flashes through Lily’s mind, and she pushes away the guilt. In the morning, once Ray can walk, they’ll go home.

  
“I can’t. We have people who need us. I’m sorry,” she adds, but Sara waves away the apology.

  
“Don’t be. Just be glad you have people. And if you ever need anything…” She nods to the room. “You’ve got us, too, okay? Always.”

  
-

  
Her father greets her with a crushing hug, one she desperately returns.

  
“I’ve been so worried-” He stammers, stroking her hair. “I thought-Oh, sweetheart, I thought-”

  
“I know.” Her voice breaks, and she pushes through. “I know. I’m okay, Dad. See?”

  
He pulls back to study her, smiling shakily in acknowledgement. “I see that. But if something had happened to you, I don’t-I don’t know what I’d do.”

  
She winces, glancing to the doorway, where Ray lingers just out of earshot. “I know. But I had to go.”

  
“I think I can see that, too,” he admits. “I should have helped you. I just… I was afraid. I had just lost Ronnie-” they both pause, the name still too raw, before he continues, “and I was afraid of losing you as well.”

  
She presses a kiss to his cheek, gentle and reassuring, and he smiles. “Now, go. Talk to him. You can tell me all about your prison break later.”

  
“Oh, I will,” she calls over her shoulder, already halfway to Ray. “It was pretty legendary.”

  
She’s closing the door behind her when she hears his sputtered gasp. “Lily Stein, you did not-”

  
-

  
It shouldn’t be awkward. It never has been with them. Settled on the porch, staring at the sky, has always been a safe-haven for them.

  
And yet.

  
“We’ll have to move,” she says finally, if only to break the silence. He nods, studying the ground. Ray was captured yards away. It’s a wonder they haven’t been found already.

  
She considers for a moment. “Sara offered us a place on the Legends,” she says finally, and he glances at her, expression unreadable.

  
“Think Martin would go for that?” He asks, and it takes her several seconds too long to realize it’s a joke.

  
When she does, she giggles, tension draining from her. “Definitely.”

  
He smiles back, and a silence settles over them. There are a hundred things they need to say, but where do they start?

  
“I-”

  
“I’m sorry,” he blurts suddenly, gaze dropping back to the dirt. “For before. You were hurting, and I thought-you needed me, and I let you down.”

  
“Ray…” How can he still think, after everything, that she’s mad at him? That she doesn’t… How?

  
“I’m sorry,” he repeats, meeting her eyes once more, intensity burning in them. “Please, tell me I didn’t mess everything up this time. Tell me… Tell me we’re still friends?” He’s pleading with her, trying to salvage something he thinks lost forever, and her heart aches. She wants to shake him, wants to tell him how long she’s loved him, wants to point out that she went to the Legends to help save him, shouldn’t that tell him anything? But the words won’t come.

  
“Yeah,” she manages finally. “Yeah. We’re still friends.”

  
His face lights up, relief washing over him, and his shoulders sag. This man, this man who has had his heart broken a hundred times over, is so clearly HAPPY, over not losing her friendship. She doesn’t let herself overthink what she does next.

  
Her lips press against him, gentle but firm, desperately trying to convey even a tenth of the emotions swirling through her mind. Slowly, tentatively, he draws a hand up to cup the back of her head, lips matching her every move.

  
Tears trickle down her cheeks, but she ignores them, focused on silently healing the scars littered across Ray’s heart. (And maybe the ones across her own.)

  
When he pulls back, breathless, it takes her a moment to find her bearings.

  
He quirks a brow at her, laughing shakily. “Friends?” He repeats, confusion lacing his tone, and she can’t help but laugh in return.

  
“Best friends,” she agrees, pressing another kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Forever.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed! To be honest, I'm a little uncertain about the ending, because it definitely went insanely sappy, but I think we could all use a little fluff in our lives.


End file.
